Felix Silla | |
|---|---|
) Silla in 2007 | |
| Born | Felix Anthony Silla 11 January 1937 Roccacasale, Italy |
| Occupation | Film, television actor, circus performer, stuntman. |
| Years active | 1964–1992 |
| Spouse(s) | Sue Silla (m. 1965) |
| Children | 2 |
Felix Anthony Silla (born Roccacasale, L'Aquila Italy, January 11, 1937), also credited as Felix Cilla, is a retired Italian-born American film and television actor and stuntman, known for his recurring role as the costumed character of "Cousin Itt" on television's The Addams Family, with the voice usually provided by Anthony Magro (1923–2004). Silla also appeared in many other classic character roles.[1]
Biography
Felix Silla was born in the small village of Roccacasale, Italy. He trained as a circus performer, came to the United States in 1955, and toured with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. His multiple talents as a bareback rider, trapeze artist and tumbler brought him to Hollywood, where he became a stuntman, starting with the Gig Young-Shirley Jones vehicle, A Ticklish Affair. His best-known roles are Litvak, the maniacal, miniature Hitler who menaces George Segal in The Black Bird (his favorite role), and Cousin Itt on the TV show The Addams Family. He was also responsible for the physical performance of the robot Twiki in the TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,[1] a role for which the voice was supplied by Mel Blanc or Bob Elyea. In part due to his short stature of 1.19 m (3 ft 11 in), he has often doubled for children in such movies as The Towering Inferno, The Hindenburg, and Battlestar Galactica. Between movies, he frequently appears in Las Vegas and Reno night clubs with his own musical combo, The Original Harmonica Band.[2]
His most famous role was television's Cousin Itt on The Addams Family. The character was not part of Charles Addams's original comic, but was introduced in the television series by Addams Family producer David Levy, debuting in the 1965 first season episode "Cousin Itt Visits the Addams Family", and appearing in a total of 17 episodes over the course of the show's two seasons. He also starred in a Clint Eastwood western.
Silla provided the voice of Mortimer Goth from The Sims 2, the best-selling video game of 2005. He also played one of the hang glider Ewoks in the film Return of the Jedi, and had a small roll in the indie film Characterz.
References
General references
- "They Don't Come Much Bigger." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. March 7, 2006.
Inline citations
- ^ a b Glionna, John M (2014-11-02). "Felix Silla, a.k.a. Cousin Itt, looks back on a kooky career". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-11-03.
- ^ "Talking With Felix Silla – June 2, 2016". Talk About Las Vegas with Ira. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
External links
- Official website
- Felix Silla at IMDb